Peaches the cat isn't crazy about strangers, but she loves her new home.

"She's a little skittish, but she's a sweetheart," said owner Shirley Eastman.

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Peaches is the second pet that Eastman has adopted from a Centerville shelter run by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

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"They do a great job," Eastman said.

Shirley showed her support by signing up to be a regular donor.

After receiving a solicitation, she decided to give even more.

But when her credit card statement arrived, Eastman saw two deductions -- one for the Massachusetts SPCA and another for the American SPCA.

She soon realized she was giving to two separate organizations.

"We didn't realize that we had two accounts with them," Eastman said, "That the MSPCA and the ASPCA were two places."

Despite their similar names, the ASPCA and MSPCA are entirely different.

"The ASPCA's first name, if you will, is 'American', so I think sometimes there is an assumption that they are the parent of all animal organizations across the country," said MSPCA President Carter Luke. "They are not. In fact, they are an independent organization in New York City."

The ASPCA advertises and collects millions of dollars from fundraising in Massachusetts. Team 5 Investigates found reports from the Attorney General's office showing $10,628,069 in contributions between 2007 and 2009.

The ASPCA describes itself as a national organization that distributed money to all 50 states last year, but it wouldn't tell us how much money came to Massachusetts.

"They don't touch a single animal in Massachusetts," Luke said. "They don't investigate a single case of cruelty or provide hospitalization for any animals here."

The ASPCA declined to talk with us on camera. Instead, in a statement, it acknowledged "we do not have a formal affiliation with local SPCAs."

But it added "we assist SPCAs, humane societies and local shelters throughout the country" in a number of ways.

The State Humane Association of California is also questioning ASPCA fundraising. It said it filed an official complaint with the California Attorney General's office recently citing "unfair and deceptive" fundraising, which was "capitalizing on and reinforcing the widely-held mistaken belief that the ASPCA is a parent or umbrella organization to...SPCAs across the country."

In Massachusetts, Luke takes great pride in how his staff cares for animals and just wants the public to be aware.

"They are not an umbrella group," he said. "They are not our parent."

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Statement from ASPCA:

"The MSPCA has applied for and received a grant from the ASPCA within the last three years, and is encouraged, like all shelters, to continue to apply regularly for grant funding from the ASPCA each year at www.aspcapro.org.

We have had numerous applications from and have fulfilled grants to shelters throughout the greater New England area.

The ASPCA is a national organization that awarded over $7 million in grants to organizations in all 50 states in 2010. While we do not have a formal affiliation with local SPCAs, we assist SPCAs, humane societies and local shelters throughout the country financially, as well as provide human and other non-monetary resources toward animal sheltering programs and innovations, legislative issues, anti-cruelty and disaster response efforts on a national scale.

There are many shelters and rescue groups at the local, regional, and national levels working to improve the welfare of animals, and we work closely with many of them to fulfill our shared mission of saving more lives. We look forward to continuing our critical work with SPCAs and humane societies in Massachusetts and other states around the country for years to come."